Footwear as Mat-Socks

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to functional footwear of a new concept, which adapts itself to the shape of a foot and gives a soft feeling when walking. The footwear includes: an upper foot fixing section ( 1 ) for covering and fixing an upper portion of a foot; and a foot supporting section attached to the upper foot fixing section for supporting a lower portion of the foot. The foot supporting section includes a resilient mat ( 2 ) having a soft elastic body, which can be deformed according to the shape of the foot. The footwear has a simple structure and can give a feeling of walking barefoot on a sponge mat or on a lawn like a soft carpet to provide complete comfort to the wearer during walking.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to functional footwear of a new concept,which adapts itself to the shape of a foot and gives a soft feeling whenwalking.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Examples of general footwear are shoes and socks.

The structure of a general shoe has been variously developed accordingto the usage thereof. The general shoe includes an upper part, coveringthe top portion of a foot and maintaining the appearance and shape ofthe shoe, and a sole. In the sole, an outsole making contact with theground, a midsole positioned between the outsole and a texion, a texionformed of a hard material for maintaining the appearance of the shoe andfunctioning as a connection portion between the upper part and the sole,and an insole for hiding waste threads, tacks, and nails aresequentially stacked.

Further, a general sock, especially an ankle sock, includes an upperportion covering a top portion of a foot and a bottom portionsurrounding the bottom of the foot.

In relation to the feeling when walking, a shoe for absorbing an impactdue to the weight of a wearer during walking or exercise, by inserting aelastic body into the portion between the texion and the outsole orforming a midsole out of a elastic material, has been suggested.However, in the structure of the conventional shoe, since the texioncannot be made of a soft and elastic material but can be made only of ahard material in order to function as a connecting portion of the upperand the sole, to maintain the shape of the shoe, and to fix the midsoleor the elastic body inserted into the midsole, there has been a limit inobtaining a sufficiently soft touch in the aspect of the feeling whenwalking with which the shoe adapts itself to the shape of the foot.

In the conventional shoe, the problem of the hard texion has beensupplemented by generally using an insole. However, even in this case,since the shoe has a hard texion at a lower portion of the insole, therealso has been a limit in obtaining a sufficiently soft touch in theaspect of the feeling when walking.

In the case of an ankle sock, there has been an effort to lessen thepartial impact and to improve the wearing feeling by using double wovenfabrics at the bottom portion thereof. However, since the ankle sockassumes the wearing function of a shoe, there still has been a limit inobtaining a sufficiently soft touch in the aspect of the feeling whenwalking with which the sock adapts itself to the shape of the foot.

In the case of a functional shoe used for orthopedic objects such asform correction, improvement or prevention of muscular skeletonproblems, and assistance of rehabilitation, and for exercises ofpredetermined portions such as reinforcement of predetermined muscles,the objects are generally accomplished by an insole of a shoe.

Further, European Patent Nos. 0999764 and 1124462 disclose functionalshoes for the orthopedic objects and for exercises of predeterminedportions of the human body.

In the patents, a shape including a hard-soft-transition portion isdefined between the foot and the ground surface. As a result, a rollingprocess is compulsorily performed, reliant upon the desired type duringwalking or additional load is applied to a predetermined muscle(s) whenwalking such that the shoe corresponds to a predetermined object(s)necessary for a wearer of a shoe.

Further, the above-mentioned shoe has the object of simulating thefeeling of walking, for example, on non-flat surfaces such as a sandyplain, forest soil, or a pasture, while being used on a flat surfacesuch as an asphalt road, a concrete, or a plate bottom.

However, since the above-mentioned functional shoe includes a hardtexion or a separate hard structure for maintaining the appearance ofthe shoe, there has been a limit in obtaining a sufficiently soft touchin the aspect of the feeling when walking with which the shoe adaptsitself to the shape of the foot.

Further, since the functional shoe works as a compulsory therapydemanding a predetermined walking method and a predetermined posture toa wearer, the wearer should maintain the balance using the requiredlocomotive organs such as muscles and skeletons. The walking method orthe regulation of the walking posture is determined by the use of a hardor soft insertion material having a bottom structure of a predeterminedshape. An orthopedist deliberately determines how the wearer should actand which attitude the wearer should take and accordingly thepredetermined shape of the bottom structure is determined.

However, the predetermined shape of the bottom structure can beunsuitable for individual symptoms and have a danger of demanding wrongposture over a long period of time due to an unsuitable diagnosis of anorthopedist.

In the conventional shoes used for functions, it is often necessary forthe shoes to adapt themselves to the individual walking methods and theindividual structures of locomotive organs in order to have an excellenteffect for the orthopedic objects or the exercises for predeterminedportions. However, in general, as well as if a wearer selects a wrongstructure or an orthopedist makes an inaccurate diagnosis, thefunctional shoes are not comfortable when the shoes are initially worn,are difficult to wear, and can cause a complete inconvenience at theworst. Such a situation arises when wearers need to adapt themselves tothe shoes.

Not only do the wearers adjust themselves to the shoe but also the shoeadapt itself to the shape of the wearer's foot and the walking methodsof the wearers in the shoes and the texions, which are manufactured ofleather or cloth by a simple method.

However, fiber, plastic, and rubber, currently used as syntheticmaterials, have a basic limit in adapting the soft materials to the footof the wearer due to their characteristics and the structures of theabove-mentioned shoes.

Further, it has been studied and proved experimentally that givingcomfortableness to the feet of a wearer and allowing the maximum degreeof freedom has an orthopedic healing effect by the motion sequence ofthe wearer. This has a thread of connection with a report stating thatpeople from the countryside that walk barefoot on soft natural groundmaintain locomotive organs far fitter than city dwellers wearingstandardized shoes.

Therefore, it is necessary to develop a footwear of a new concept whichadapts itself to the wearer to provide complete comfortableness duringwalking and allows the maximum degree of freedom to a foot even if someor all of the structures for maintaining the appearance of the footwearare abandoned.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve theabove-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and an object ofthe present invention is to provide footwear which has a simplestructure and can give a feeling of walking barefoot on a sponge mat oron a lawn like a soft carpet to provide complete comfortableness to thewearer during walking.

It is another object of the present invention to provide footwear thatcan easily change the wearing feeling and the correction function duringwalking if necessary.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide footwearthat gives complete comfortableness to the wearer during walking andallows the maximum degree of freedom to the foot.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, there is providedfootwear comprising an upper foot fixing section for covering and fixingthe upper portion of a foot, and a foot supporting section attached tothe upper foot fixing section for supporting the lower portion of thefoot, of which the foot supporting section includes a resilient mathaving a soft elastic body which can be deformed according to the shapeof the foot.

A conventional shoe essentially includes a hard texion or a hardstructure for maintaining the appearance thereof, but the presentinvention does not include a hard texion or a separate structure formaintaining the appearance of a shoe in order to improve the feelingwhen walking.

In accordance with the present invention, in spite of partiallyabandoning the aspect of maintaining the appearance of a shoe, thepresent invention not only has a relatively simple structure and cangive a feeling of walking barefoot on a sponge mat or on a lawn like asoft carpet to provide complete comfortableness to the wearer duringwalking but also can give the maximum degree of freedom to a foot byadapting a contact portion with the foot to the shape of the bottom ofthe foot.

Preferably, the foot supporting section further includes a shroudcovering a portion or all portions of the outer surface of the softresilient mat and fixing the soft resilient mat.

According to the structure, the resilient mat formed of a elastic bodycan be protected and easily received and fixed and the resilient mat (aelastic body received in a chamber in the case in which the shroud formsthe chamber) can be exchanged, with the appearance of the footwearhaving the upper foot fixing section and a shroud maintaining theoriginal shape.

Preferably, the foot supporting section includes a bottom portion formedon the outer surface of the shroud for preventing slide movement of thefootwear when the footwear makes contact with the ground. The bottomportion is integrally formed with the shroud by forming the groundcontact portion of the shroud thicker than the other portions. or isseparately formed and bonded. Also, the bottom portion can be formed bycoating at least a portion of the ground contact portion of the shroud.

Preferably, a portion for inserting and withdrawing the resilient mat isformed on the surface of the shroud.

According to the structure, only the resilient mat can be easilyinserted and withdrawn without separating the foot supporting sectionfrom the upper foot fixing section.

More preferably, the shroud is detachably attached to the foot fixingsection so that the foot supporting section can be attached to the footfixing section.

According to the structure, the foot supporting section can be attachedto the foot fixing section in various methods without any restriction inthe type and shape of the resilient mat only by partially deforming theshroud and the upper foot fixing section to provide an engagementportion, and the foot supporting section can be attached and detached,and the soft resilient mat inside the shroud can be exchanged ifnecessary. The attachment of the shroud to the resilient mat is notlimited to above mentioned detachable attachment to the foot fixingsection, and the shroud can be integrally formed with the resilient mator can be separately formed and firmly attached to the resilient mat bybonding, etc.

Further, as mentioned above, the shroud can have a portion which can beopened and closed and can be used for inserting and withdrawing theresilient mat to exchange the resilient mat without separating theentire shroud from the upper foot fixing section.

Preferably, the shroud includes at least one chamber for receiving theelastic body.

Accordingly, by receiving the elastic bodies having various elasticproperties into the chambers, the elastic bodies can provide the feelingwhen walking suitable for the requirements of the wearer and can beexchanged to easily change the elastic properties according to the footcontact portions.

Preferably, the resilient mat is divided into a plurality of divisionseach of which includes a elastic body.

According to the structure, the wearing feeling and the correctionfunction during walking can be modified to meet the requirements of thewearer by regulating the shape and/or material of the divisions.

Further, the elastic body uses an opened elastic body, a closed elasticbody, or both of them.

Here, the opened elastic body refers to a elastic body for example, afoam material or structure made of a sponge, rubber or anatural/synthetic resin which contains air inside itself or itsstructure, having a property of elasticity in the method of dischargingair by applying a pressure and pressing the elastic body and rechargingair by decreasing the pressure.

In the case of forming a resilient mat including the opened elasticbody, if the elastic body is compressed, the air existing in a middlespace of the material or structure can be transferred into the interiorof the upper foot fixing section, the foot of the wearer reaches aventilation state due to the air-flow generated during pressing andexpansion of the air as well as get a soft feeling when walking due tothe elastic body.

The closed elastic body refers to a elastic body for example, a filledbody having the shape of a closed bag which is filled with a fillingmaterial such as air, a fluid, and a gel or a rubber with a property ofelasticity of which only the shape can be changed by applying a pressurewhile the air or filling material is not introduced or discharged. Thebag-shaped filling body is provided with a valve (not shown) so that theproperty of elasticity can be varied, if necessary, by discharging orrefilling the filling material inside thereof.

Preferably, the resilient mat is divided into an upper portion includingat least one opened elastic body and a lower portion including a closedelastic body.

By the dual structure of the resilient mat, the lower portion provides aproperty of elasticity relatively stable, and the upper portion uses theopened elastic body so that the ventilation property of the footwear canbe improved during the time of walking by using the air generated whilethe resilient mat is loosened and contracted.

More preferably, the elastic body forming the resilient mat includeshard elastic particles inside.

According to the structure, the elastic particles inside of the softelastic body can function as a buffer which alleviates the phenomenonthat the soft elastic body is rapidly pressed when the footwear is wornand prevents the feeling of the hard ground from being transferred tothe foot when the soft elastic body is compressed most. Further, thefeeling of wearing the footwear or the feeling when walking can beregulated by regulating the number, size, and type of the hard elasticparticles inserted when the elastic body is manufactured, therebyregulating the compression degree and the maximum compression thickness.

Preferably, the present invention includes a bottom portion attached tothe outer surface of the foot supporting section in order to protect thefoot supporting section including the resilient mat and to prevent slidemovement while making contact with the ground.

The bottom portion can be formed only in the ground contact portion butis not limited thereto. The bottom portion extends and covers at leastone of the front, rear, right, and left sides of the foot in order toengage the foot supporting section with the upper foot fixing sectionadditionally or extends in order to fix a portion or all of the footadditionally.

Further, the upper foot fixing section is formed of a soft material andhas the shape of a sock. The soft material includes a natural orsynthetic fiber as in a general sock and any material flexible enough toattach or detach the footwear such as natural or synthetic latex and asynthetic resin.

Since the upper foot fixing section has the shape of a general sock, itcan be easily attached or detached and can maximize the wearing feelingand the soft feeling when walking as compared with a conventional shoe.

Preferably, the upper foot fixing section has the shape of a sock of atextile material and is attached to the shroud at the upper end portionof the foot to be integrally formed with the shroud. In this case, theshroud can be attached by various methods such as sewing, bonding, etc.Especially in case that the material of the shroud is the same one ofthe upper foot fixing section, the shroud can be integrally formed withthe upper foot fixing section by weaving or can be separatelymanufactured and then attached to the upper foot fixing section bysewing etc. so as to have the shape of a dual sock having a receptionspace at the lower end thereof.

More preferably, a portion of the engagement portion of the upper footfixing section and the shroud can be opened and closed to withdraw andexchange the resilient mat. Further, the shape of the upper foot fixingsection is not limited to that of a sock and can be applied to variousshapes of shoes, sandals, etc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will be more apparent from the following detailed descriptiontaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the first preferred embodiment offootwear of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the second preferred embodiment offootwear of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the third preferred embodiment offootwear of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the fourth preferred embodiment offootwear of the present invention;

FIGS. 5 a to 5 f are views showing the engagement structures of theupper foot fixing section and the foot supporting section of the presentinvention;

FIGS. 6 a to 6 g are views for explaining methods to form a footsupporting section according to the structures and formation methods ofa resilient mat, a shroud, and a bottom portion of the presentinvention;

FIGS. 7 a and 7 b are perspective views showing preferred embodiments ofthe cases in which a resilient mat is divided;

FIGS. 8 a and 8 b are views showing the structures of the shroud in thecases in which resilient bodies are inserted into chambers formed bydividing the resilient mat; and

FIGS. 9 and 10 are views for explaining the compression rate relationwhen footwear of the present invention is worn, before and after aninsertion material is inserted into the elastic body of the resilientmat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will bedescribed in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Forreference, the same elements are indicated by the same referencenumerals in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a view showing a preferred embodiment of footwear according tothe present invention. Basically, the footwear of the present inventionincludes an upper foot fixing section 1 for covering and fixing an upperportion of a foot and a foot supporting section attached to the upperfoot fixing section for supporting the lower portion of the foot. In thepreferred embodiment of the present invention, the foot supportingsection includes a soft resilient mat 2 which can be deformed accordingto the shape of the bottom of the foot, a shroud 3 integrally formedwith the resilient mat 2 or separately attached to the resilient mat 2for fixing the resilient mat 2, and a bottom portion (not shown) formedon the ground contact surface for preventing slide movement of thefootwear.

As can be understood in the preferred embodiment, since the presentinvention does not include a hard texion and a separate part to maintainthe appearance of the footwear, different from a general shoe, the feelof the soft resilient mat 2 is transferred to the foot as it is duringthe time of walking, and thus the wearer feels the comfortableness ofwalking barefoot on a soft sponge, a carpet, or a lawn.

Further, the bottom portion (not shown) for preventing the slidemovement of the ground contact surface of the foot supporting sectioncan be selectively formed. The bottom portion can be omitted ifunnecessary according to the material and shape of the resilient mat 2or the place in which the footwear is used. In case that the bottomportion is omitted, the resilient mat 2 alone forms the foot supportingsection. Further, in the case that the shroud 3 is applied to thefootwear according to the present invention, the bottom portion can beintegrally formed with the shroud when the shroud is formed or can beseparately attached to the ground contact surface of the shroud.

In addition, as described later, the bottom portion (not shown) canextend upward to fix the foot supporting section to the upper footfixing section or can be used to fix the foot to the footwear duringwalking.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the soft resilientmat 2 can be fixed to the upper foot fixing section 1 by one of thewell-known engaging methods such as bonding with an adhesive, sewing,and engagement with a Velcro fastener, a slide fastener (or a zipper),or a snap fastener. In the case in which the shroud 3 is applied to theresilient mat 2, the resilient mat 2 can be attached using an engagementportion of the shroud 3 according to the well-known methods.Furthermore, in some cases, the bottom portion (not shown) can extend tobe attached.

The upper foot fixing section 1 is comprised of a soft material and canhave various shapes such as a sock, a rubber boot, a sports shoe, asandal, a slipper, and the like according to its use. The material ofthe upper foot fixing section 1 can include various materials such as asoft rubber, a textile, a net, leather, and the like.

Further, a plurality of ventilation holes can be formed in the upperfoot fixing section and the design of the foot fixing section can bemodified, for example, by forming a transparent window.

The resilient mat 2 is formed of a soft elastic body itself or includesthe shroud. And the material of the elastic body can be classified intoan opened elastic body and a closed elastic body, the opened elasticbody refers to a elastic body for example, a foam material or structuremade of a sponge, or a natural/synthetic resin which contains air insideitself or its structure, having a property of elasticity in the methodof discharging air by applying a pressure and pressing the elastic bodyand recharging air by decreasing the pressure, the closed elastic bodyrefers to a elastic body for example, a filled body having the shape ofa closed bag which is filled with a filling material such as air, afluid, and a gel or a rubber with a property of elasticity of which onlythe shape can be changed by applying a pressure and compressing theelastic body while the air or filling material is not introduced ordischarged. For the various embodiments of the resilient mat 2 one orboth type of the resilient bodies can be used.

The material and the structure of the soft elastic body are selected sothat the compression rate of the resilient mat is fifty to ninetypercent if the footwear is worn.

Further, a bag-shaped closed elastic body is provided with a valve (notshown) so that the property of elasticity can be varied, if necessary,by discharging or refilling the filling material inside.

The planer shape of the resilient mat 2 generally follows that of thebottom surface of the footwear. The thickness (thickness of theresilient mat itself in the case in which the bottom portion is notformed) of the resilient mat 2 is varied according to the weight of thewearer and the property of elasticity of the elastic body. Further, asdescribed above, the soft elastic body of the present invention has acompression rate of fifty to ninety percent when the footwear is worn.Therefore, according to the present invention, it is preferable that thethickness of the elastic body is at least 1 cm from the ground contactsurface and at least 0.5 cm in the case for children.

The shroud 3 is formed of the same material as the upper foot fixingsection or of a different material from the upper foot fixing section.The shroud 3 can be formed of a soft resilient material and variousmaterials such as a synthetic or natural textile material, synthetic ornatural latex, polyurethane, and the like can be used.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a constitution of another preferredembodiment of the present invention.

In the preferred embodiment of FIG. 2, since the basic technical spiritis the same as the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1, the reiterateddescription will be omitted.

The footwear of the preferred embodiment has the shape of a general shoeor a sports shoe. A resilient mat forming a foot supporting section hasthe shape of a sole of a general shoe or a sport shoe in the state inwhich a pressure is not applied before the footwear is worn. Further,since the compression rate of the footwear becomes fifty to ninetypercent if the footwear is worn and pressed, the shape of the footwearis deformed.

An upper foot fixing section 1 has the shape of a general sports shoe.The material of the upper foot fixing section 1 includes various softmaterials such as a soft rubber, a textile, a net, leather, and thelike.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the constitution of anotherpreferred embodiment of the present invention and shows a case in whichthe shape of a sandal is applied to an upper foot fixing section 1.Since the basic technical spirit of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 3is the same as the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1, the reiterateddescription will be omitted.

The upper foot fixing section 1 forming the shape of a sandal can beattached to a foot supporting section by various methods such as bondingand sewing, and a resilient mat 2 forming the foot supporting sectionhas the shape of a sole of a general shoe or a sports shoe before thefootwear is worn and any pressure is not applied.

In case that a shroud is applied to the footwear, the resilient mat 2 isfirmly attached to the surface of the shroud. The upper foot fixingsection 1 having the shape of a sandal and the resilient mat 2 formingthe foot supporting section can be exchanged if necessary and can bedetachably attached to one another.

FIG. 4 a is a perspective view showing the formation of anotherpreferred embodiment of the present invention and shows a preferredembodiment in which the technical spirit of the present invention isapplied in the form of a sock.

FIG. 4 b is a view showing a method by which the resilient mat 2 isexchanged.

In the preferred embodiment, an upper foot fixing section 1 and a footsupporting section form the shape of a sock in their appearance. Areception space for receiving the resilient mat 2 is formed between theupper foot fixing section 1 and the foot supporting section so that theresilient mat 2 can be received in the reception space.

In the preferred embodiment, the upper foot fixing section is formed ofa synthetic or natural textile, and can be formed of a soft rubber ifnecessary. The upper foot fixing section and the foot supporting sectionare integrally formed or are separately formed to be attached to eachother by means of sewing.

Further, a part or whole of the upper foot fixing section and the footsupporting section can be detachably attached by an engagement devicesuch as a Velcro fastener, a slide fastener (zipper), or a snap fastenerso that the resilient mat 2 can be inserted or withdrawn when the upperfoot fixing section and the foot supporting section are separated fromeach other. In the preferred embodiment, the overall footwear isattached by sewing and a slide fastener is mounted to a heel portion ofa foot so that the resilient mat 2 can be inserted into and withdrawnfrom the reception space if the slide fastener is opened, as shown inFIG. 4 b.

FIGS. 5 a to 5 f are views for explaining the engagement structure of anupper foot fixing section and a foot supporting section of the presentinvention. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, thefoot supporting section 1 includes a shroud 3 for covering a portion ofthe outer surface of a soft resilient mat 2 and receiving and fixing thesoft resilient mat 2. In this case, the upper foot fixing section andthe foot supporting section are attached to each other through a portionof the shroud 3. The shroud 3 can be integrally or separately formedwith and from the resilient mat 2.

For reference, in the engagement structure, although the engagementportion is shown as an extending portion of the shroud 3, it can be anextending portion of a bottom portion (not shown).

Hereinafter, the engagement structure of the upper foot fixing sectionand the foot supporting section will be explained in detail withreference to the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 5 a, the shroud 3 of the resilient mat of the footsupporting section is fixed to and attached to the foot fixing sectionby bonding or sewing in order to attach the foot supporting sectionincluding the resilient mat to the foot fixing section. A portion whichcan be opened and closed to exchange the resilient mat by inserting andwithdrawing the resilient mat without separating the entire shroud fromthe upper foot fixing section is formed on the outer surface of theshroud 3.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, although theportion, which can be opened or closed by using a slide fastener 4, isformed at the heel portion of the shroud 3, it can be mounted to anysurface according to the use and the design of the footwear.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, by using theportion which can be opened and closed, the resilient mat 2 formed of aelastic body can be protected and easily received and fixed additionallyand only the resilient mat can be exchanged, with the appearance of thefootwear maintaining the original shape.

FIG. 5 b is a view showing the state in which a foot supporting sectionis detachably attached in the shape of an overshoe by extending theupper portion of the shroud 3 of the foot supporting section to coverand fix the top of the foot fixing section.

In the preferred embodiment, the upper foot fixing section can beseparated from the foot supporting section by stripping off the shroudin the form of an overshoe. During the separation, the resilient mat 2can be exchanged and only the upper foot fixing section can be replacedby another one or can be washed.

FIG. 5 c is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the shroud3 extends to an ankle portion over the top of the foot to be fixed andthe foot supporting section is fixed in the form of a dual sock.

In the preferred embodiment, the upper foot fixing section can beseparated from the foot supporting section by stripping off the shroudfrom the upper foot fixing section as in the form of an overshoe.Further, during the separation, a resilient mat 2 can be exchanged andonly the upper foot fixing section can be replaced by another one or canbe washed.

Further, in this case, as shown in the figure, a space can be formed atthe heel portion of the foot to be designed for ventilation.

FIG. 5 d shows a structure in which the foot supporting section is fixedin the form of a dual sock by extending a shroud to the ankle portionover the top of the foot at the front portion of the foot to fix theshroud. The rear portion of the shroud extends only to a heel portion ofthe foot and is attached by sewing. In the structure, the resilient mat2 can be exchanged by installing a slide fastener at the rear end of theshroud and by opening and closing only the heel portion.

The engagement structure is suitable especially for the case in whichthe foot fixing section and the foot supporting section are formed of atextile material or a soft rubber and are shaped like socks.

FIG. 5 e shows the state in which a slide fastener 4 is mounted to theupper end of the shroud 3 as an engagement portion and the shroud 3 isattached to the slide fastener mounted to the lower end of thecorresponding upper foot fixing section.

In the engagement structure, if the slide fastener is opened, the footsupporting section is separated so that the resilient mat 2 can beexchanged. In the preferred embodiment, the slide fastener 4 is formedin the resilient mat itself if the shroud is not applied to theresilient mat.

Referring to FIG. 5 f, the bottom portion, the upper end of the shroud,or the resilient mat itself is attached to the upper foot fixing section1 by using a Velcro fastener.

In the preferred embodiment, a Velcro fastener 5 a is mounted only tothe outer peripheral surface of the upper portion of the foot supportingsection and is attached to a Velcro portion fastener 5 b mounted to thelower end of the upper foot fixing section in order to prevent thewearing feeling of the footwear from lowering due to the Velcroengagement. Further, the Velcro portion can extend not only on theengagement surfaces of the foot fixing section and the foot supportingsection but also on the circumference of the side surfaces of the footfixing section and the foot supporting section to reinforce theengagement by using a Velcro belt 5 c.

For actual embodiments, the two engagement methods can be usedindependently or together.

FIGS. 6 a to 6 g are views for explaining formation methods of footsupporting sections according to the structures of the resilient mat 2,the shroud 3, and the bottom portion 4 of the present invention.

FIG. 6 a shows a preferred embodiment including only the resilient mat2. The resilient mat, which is a elastic body, may have a portion forfunctioning as a shroud integrally formed on the outer surface thereofduring the manufacturing process. In this case, depending onmanufacturing method for use, the shroud or the portion functioning asthe shroud can be formed of the same material as the elastic body,thereby strengthening the mechanical friction of the outer surface ofthe elastic body. The resilient mat can be directly attached to theupper foot fixing section or can be used as an inserted materialaccording to the form of the embodiment. Further, a bottom portion (notshown) preventing slide movement of the footwear can be selectivelyformed on the ground contact surface.

In the case in which the shroud described later is applied, the shroudcan be integrally formed with the resilient mat when the resilient matis manufactured. In the case in which the shroud is separatelymanufactured, it can be detachably attached to the resilient mat as wellas firmly attached to the resilient mat by bonding etc.

FIG. 6 b shows a preferred embodiment in which the shroud 3 covers theentire elastic body. In this case, for example, the shroud should be anessentially soft resilient membrane or film such as a thin rubber,resilient textile, etc. In the preferred embodiment, the ground contactsurface itself functions as a bottom portion by making the groundcontact surface portion thicker than the other portions when the shroudis manufactured.

FIG. 6 c shows the case in which the shroud 3 covers only the peripheryof the upper surface of the resilient mat to minimize the change of thewearing feeling of the footwear. Similarly, the ground contact surfaceportion is made thicker than the other portions when the shroud ismanufactured.

The portion of the shroud, which covers the resilient mat, functions asan engagement portion when the upper foot fixing section is attached tothe shroud by bonding, sewing, or Velcro, etc.

Referring to FIG. 6 d, the shroud extends to the upper side of theresilient mat. An attachment portion such as a slide fastener, a Velcrofastener, or a snap fastener is mounted to the extending portion of theshroud to be attached to the corresponding portion of the upper footfixing section. The shroud can extend further to reach the upper footfixing section in the form of an overshoe or a dual sock. Likewise, theground contact surface portion is made thicker than the other portionswhen the shroud is manufactured.

FIGS. 6 e to 6 g show the cases in which the bottom portion 6 isseparately formed on the ground contact surface of the shroud.

FIGS. 7 a and 7 b are perspective views showing the preferredembodiments in which the resilient mat has divisions. In FIG. 7 a, theresilient mat is divided to the right and left of the foot. In FIG. 7 b,the resilient mat is divided to the right, left, front, and rear of thefoot so that the resilient mat can have the shape of a matrix.

In this case, the shroud (not shown) can have the same shape as theouter shape of the resilient mat 2 to receive the resilient mat 2, orcan receive the resilient mat regardless of the shape of the resilientmat.

In this case, the shroud or a portion functioning as the shroud can beformed of the same material as the elastic body thereby strengtheningthe mechanical friction of the outer surface of the elastic bodydepending on manufacturing methods. The resilient mat can be directlyattached to the upper foot fixing section or can be used as an insertedmaterial according to the form of the embodiment. Further, a bottomportion (not shown) preventing slide movement of the footwear can beselectively formed on the ground contact surface. Further, the wearingfeeling and the correcting function during walking can be changeddepending on the requirements of the wearer by regulating the shapeand/or the materials of the divisions of the resilient mat.

FIGS. 8 a and 8 b show the structure of the shroud 3 in which aresilient mat is manufactured by inserting resilient bodies intochambers formed in the divided shroud 3. The shroud forms a plurality ofchambers receiving the resilient bodies and the resilient mat 2 isformed by the insertion of the plurality of resilient bodies into thechambers. In this case, a shroud cover (not shown) covering openedportions of the resilient mat is selectively used. In the case of theshroud cover being used, the shroud cover is formed of a soft andventilating material.

FIGS. 9 and 10 are views for explaining the compression rate relation inthe case in which the footwear is worn, before and after the insertionmaterial is inserted into the elastic body of the resilient mat.

In the case of forming a the body of the resilient mat with foammaterial of a synthetic resin for example, polyurethane, the elasticbody including the insertion material can be manufactured by insertingpolyurethane particles or granules during foaming for making the shapeof the foam material. Further, in the case of the closed elastic body inwhich a fluid or a gel is filled inside of a bag, it can be manufacturedby putting the elastic particles such as the polyurethane granulesbefore filling the liquid or the gel into the bag.

FIG. 9 c is a graph showing the resilient repulsive force F as afunction of the change of the difference Δd between the thickness d₁ ofthe resilient mat before wearing the footwear and the thickness d₂ ofthe resilient mat after wearing the footwear in the case in which ageneral elastic body is applied to the resilient mat.

FIG. 10 c is a graph showing the resilient repulsive force F as afunction of the change of the difference Δd between the thickness d₁ ofthe resilient mat before wearing the footwear and the thickness d₂ ofthe resilient mat after wearing the footwear in the case in whichgranules harder than a general elastic body are inserted into the insideof the resilient mat.

FIG. 9 a shows that the resilient repulsive force is changed to thevicinity of the critical thickness d₁ of the resilient mat in apredetermined linear shape.

On the other hand, in the case of the resilient mat of FIG. 10 a, whichincludes granules harder than the material of the elastic body, thecurve of the resilient repulsive force can be regulated according to thenumber and type of granules as in the graph.

The drawings disclose only the cross-sections for convenience, but thepresent invention is applied to resilient bodies forming resilient matsof various shapes.

The footwear according to the present invention has a simple structureand can give a feeling of walking barefoot on a sponge mat or on a lawnlike a soft carpet to provide complete comfortableness to the wearerduring walking.

Further, according to the present invention, the wearing feeling and thecorrection function can be easily changed during walking if necessary.

Furthermore, the present invention can provide complete comfortablenessto the wearer during waking and allows the maximum degree of freedom tothe foot.

1. Footwear comprising: An upper foot fixing section for covering andfixing an upper portion of a foot; and A foot supporting sectionattached to the upper foot fixing section for supporting a lower portionof the foot; wherein the foot supporting section comprises a resilientmat having a soft elastic body which can be deformed according to theshape of the foot.
 2. Footwear according to claim 1, wherein the footsupporting section further comprises a shroud covering at least aportion of the outer surface of the resilient mat and fixing theresilient mat.
 3. Footwear according to claim 2, wherein the footsupporting section comprises a bottom portion formed on the outersurface of the shroud for preventing slide movement of the footwear whenthe footwear makes contact with the ground.
 4. Footwear according toclaim 3, wherein the bottom portion is integrally formed with the shroudby forming the ground contact portion of the shroud thicker than theother portions.
 5. Footwear according to claim 3, wherein the bottomportion is formed by coating at least a portion of the ground contactportion of the shroud.
 6. Footwear according to claim 2, wherein theshroud is formed of a textile material.
 7. Footwear according to claim2, wherein the shroud is formed of a latex material.
 8. Footwearaccording to claim 2, wherein a portion for inserting and withdrawingthe resilient mat is formed on the surface of the shroud.
 9. Footwearaccording to claim 2, wherein the shroud is detachably attached to thefoot fixing section so that the foot supporting section can be attachedto the foot fixing section.
 10. Footwear according to claim 9, whereinthe foot supporting section is attached to the foot fixing section byextending the upper end of the shroud so that the shroud can cover andfix at least a portion of an upper portion of the foot fixing section.11. Footwear according to claim 9, wherein the foot supporting sectionis attached to the foot fixing section by engaging the upper end of theshroud with the foot fixing section using a slide fastener.
 12. Footwearaccording to claim 9, wherein the foot supporting section is attached tothe foot fixing section by engaging the shroud with the foot fixingsection using a Velcro fastener.
 13. Footwear according to claim 2,wherein the foot supporting section is attached to the foot fixingsection by bonding the upper end of the shroud to the lower end of thefoot fixing section.
 14. Footwear according to claim 2, wherein theshroud comprises at least one chamber for receiving the elastic body.15. Footwear according to claim 14, wherein the elastic body received inthe chamber can be exchanged.
 16. Footwear according to claim 1, whereinthe elastic body forming the resilient mat is an opened elastic bodywhich discharges air by applying a pressure and pressing the elasticbody and can be refilled with air by decreasing the pressure. 17.Footwear according to claim 1, wherein the elastic body forming theresilient mat is a closed elastic body which does not discharge air byapplying a pressure.
 18. Footwear according to claim 17, wherein theclosed elastic body is a filled body of which the inside is filled witha filling material and the filled body is provided with a valve so thatthe filling material in the inside of the filled body can be dischargedor refilled.
 19. Footwear according to claim 1, wherein the resilientmat has the shape of a sole of a shoe.
 20. Footwear according to claim1, wherein the resilient mat has the shape of a sole of a sports shoe.21. Footwear according to claim 1, wherein the resilient mat has theshape of a sole of a sandal.
 22. Footwear according to claim 1, whereinthe resilient mat is divided into a plurality of divisions each of whichcomprises a elastic body.
 23. Footwear according to claim 22, whereinthe plurality of divisions comprises the resilient bodies have variousproperties of elasticity.
 24. Footwear according to claim 23, wherein atleast one of the resilient bodies forming the divisions is an openedelastic body which discharges air by applying a pressure and pressingthe elastic body and can be refilled with air by decreasing thepressure.
 25. Footwear according to claim 23, wherein at least one ofthe resilient bodies forming the divisions is a closed elastic body thatdoes not discharge air by applying a pressure.
 26. Footwear according toclaim 25, wherein the closed elastic body is a filled body of which theinside is filled with a filling material, and the filled body isprovided with a valve so that the filling material in the inside of thefilled body can be discharged or refilled.
 27. Footwear according toclaim 1, wherein the resilient mat is divided into an upper portioncomprising at least one opened elastic body and a lower portionincluding at least one closed elastic body.
 28. Footwear according toclaim 1, wherein the elastic body forming the resilient mat compriseshard elastic particles inside thereof.
 29. Footwear according to claim1, wherein the thickness of the foot supporting section is variable inproportion to the weight of a wearer.
 30. Footwear according to claim29, wherein the thickness of the foot supporting section is compressedin proportion to the weight of a wearer at a compression rate of fiftyto ninety percent.
 31. Footwear according to claim 29, wherein thethickness of the foot supporting section is at least 0.5 mm from theground contact surface in the case for children.
 32. Footwear accordingto claim 29, wherein the thickness of the foot supporting section is atleast 1 cm from the ground contact surface.
 33. Footwear according toclaim 1, wherein the upper foot fixing section has the shape of a shoe.34. Footwear according to claim 1, wherein the upper foot fixing sectionhas the shape of a sandal.
 35. Footwear according to claim 1, whereinthe upper foot fixing section is formed of a soft material and has theshape of a sock.
 36. Footwear according to claim 2, wherein the upperfoot fixing section is formed of a textile material, has the shape of asock, and is integrally formed with the shroud to be attached to theshroud at an upper end portion of the foot.
 37. Footwear according toclaim 36, wherein a portion of the engagement portion of the upper footfixing section and the shroud can be opened and closed.
 38. Footwearaccording to claim 1, wherein the upper foot fixing section has aplurality a ventilation holes.
 39. Footwear according to claim 1,wherein the upper foot fixing section has a plurality of transparentwindows